A Thistle Flower from the Prairie by Jens Christian Bay
A Danish couple with two children face harsh conditions on their 19th Century Nebraska prairie farm. Will they survive blizzards, tornados, plagues of insects, arduous hauls for water, and long journeys to town for farm and household supplies? Peter is stubborn and contrary. Ellen Marie is sweet, congenial, and patient. Neighbors, craftsmen, and pastor reach out to help the struggling family. But Peter persists in his self-reliance. Will Peter ever bring water indoors to supply their home? Can anyone, anything, alter his course? Will he seize upon an opportunity provided by the challenges he faces? This short, allegorical novel is amply illustrated with color photos of prairie wildflowers, prairie restoration efforts in Missouri, the author, the original 1953 Danish edition, and the author's handwritten manuscript. Sales proceeds will help support prairie preservation and restoration efforts of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
About the Author
Dr. Jens Christian Bay (1871-1962) was born in Rudkoebing on the island of Langeland, Denmark, and educated in botany at the University of Copenhagen. He followed the impulse of his ship-captain father to the USA, first to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, then on to the Iowa State Board of Health, the Library of Congress, and the John Crerar Library, now part of the University of Chicago, becoming Librarian and Librarian Emeritus. His eclectic interests and publications ranged many topics: botany, taxonomy, history, literature, folklore, and book-collecting. Best known is his "Danish Fairy and Folk Tales" (1899). Possessing a keen eye for what books are important to American history and science, he became an authority on Midwest Americana. His own collection of Americana is located in his namesake room at the Missouri State Historical Library in Columbia. Bay was also interested in and promoted the literature of his native Denmark; he was knighted in 1947 by Denmark's King Frederick IX.
Product Specifications
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, paperback, 2013. 34 pages.
